Thousands expected to take to the streets of Seattle for 14th Annual May Day March for Immigrant and Workers Rights.

SEATTLE – Thousands of demonstrators are expected to take to the streets of Seattle on Thursday, May 1, 2014 for the 14th Annual May Day March for Workers and Immigrant Rights. In the spirit of unity and solidarity with communities across the country, organizers in Seattle will focus on a universal theme: standing together with all workers regardless of race, class, gender, religious affiliation, sexual identity, ability, and documented status. Event details are as follows:

What: 14th Annual May Day March and Rally for Workers and Immigrant Rights

Who: Thousands of workers and immigrant rights supporters. We’ll hear testimonials from community members, and will be joined by allies from the labor, social justice, and faith based communities.

When: Thursday May 1st, 2014. The march will depart from the starting point at 3:00 p.m.

Where: The march will begin at St. Mary’s Church (611 20th Ave South, Seattle, WA 98144) and will end with a rally at Westlake Park.

Background

The theme of the 2014 march will center on justice for all workers and a community-based framework for dialogue on Workers and Immigrants Rights. Politicians of both stripes, through inaction and neglect, have been complicit in the use of enforcement-heavy tactics such as dragnet raids, racial profiling of immigrants, and the use of discriminatory employee verification programs. Recent legislation introduced (e.g. SB 744) has only attempted to further codify enforcement-first policies, while leaving humanitarian concerns discarded by the wayside. As a community, we are demanding an executive order to cease all deportation of non-violent detainees, and grant an expansion of deferred action to all community members, while adequate legislation is pending. We will continue to organize at the grassroots level to ensure that families are not forcibly separated and to ensure that our communities are able to live and work without fear and deprivation of basic human rights.